KEY POINTS:
Horse racing is often about experimentation. Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett tried one in the Avondale Cup, and is happy to admit it didn't work.
Which is why he is confident of Kingsinga running a much better race in tomorrow's $100,000 L J Hooker Manawatu Cup than he did
last start in the Avondale Cup.
Kingsinga finished only eighth as beaten favourite at Avondale and Collett blames the instructions he gave rider Leith Innes.
"We decided to ride the horse forward because of his wide barrier draw. We figured we had a super fit horse and against the class of opposition he faced he could do some work early and still kick on and win.
"We were wrong."
Kingsinga has drawn barrier 18 of the 18 runners and Collett said there will be no pressing forward in the early stages of the race this time.
"All his best efforts have been when he's been given time to settle and relax back in the field."
Kingsinga is also a better horse on the left-handed tracks like Manawatu. Right-handed, like Avondale and Ellerslie is less than ideal, which is why he has been withdrawn from the City Of Auckland Cup on New Year's Day.
"After he ran second to Congrats at Awapuni as a 3-year-old he was vetted for sale to Hong Kong and found to have bone chips in his fetlocks.
"The sale was stopped and we had the chips removed and ever since there's been a bit of wear and tear in the joints and he's a bit more comfortable going left-handed."
Kingsinga has the measure of most of New Zealand's top class stayers and with a run to suit this time can prove extremely difficult to keep out late in the race.
His Marton Cup victory on this track was very dominant and he would not need to greatly improve on that to win here.
Last year's winner of this race, Chettak, has to give Kingsinga 1.5kg, which will not be an easy assignment.
But there was a bit to like about his effort on the first day last week when he set up a fast pace and was narrowly run down under 58kg.
He has clearly come right at the right time again and rates highly, even under 57.5kg.
Three Chimneys has a lot of ability. A year ago he finished a close fourth to Bak Da Chief as beaten favourite in the Waikato Cup then covered too much extra ground in the City Of Auckland Cup.
He came back from a long break to flash home into second behind Taikorea at Wanganui and will clearly be improved for that effort.
A combination of a wide draw and the 58kg makes it difficult, but he can really steam home when he's given the right sort of run.
Trainer Peter McKenzie got excited about the midweek rain for his two runners, Miles and Empyreal, but the track was back to just dead yesterday and if there is no further rain the footing should be perfect.
Empyreal went just a fair race in the New Zealand Cup, but showed slight improvement to make ground on the leaders behind Taikorea at Wanganui.
Plucky Kay's Awake gets a chance against a stylish field in the $80,000 Higgins Challenge Stakes.
The ultra consistent mare deserves some reward for her brave effort for sixth in the Concorde on Avondale Cup Day.
She carried 58kg, got a long way off them when a very fast pace was set over the 1200m and still managed to run on solidly in the closing stages on an unsuitable rain-affected track.
Kay's Awake looks a lot better suited under these weight-for-age conditions in which only the 3-year-old Run Like Al will carry less weight.
Bulginbaah produced a slashing finish to be narrowly beaten by True Valour on Levin Stakes Day at Otaki and is suited by the conditions.
Cog Hill, Smitten Kitten, Kristov and Run Like Al all add strength to a very interesting contest.
* MANAWATU CUP
Kingsinga failed as favourite in the Avondale Cup last start.
Trainer Richard Collett blames himself for asking that the horse be ridden forward from a wide barrier.
Collett says that mistake won't be made this time.